Because You Live
by RagxxDoll
Summary: Sara Sadler,the newest member of Gibbs' team,is the first to identify a civilian; why? The civilian was her best friend. On a tiring journey to her hometown Kate,Tony and Gibbs learn the turth behind their Probie. Gibbs/OG.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

My cell phone begins to ring on my bedside table. I moan and roll over, looking at my clock. It's zero three hundred. Goddamn it. I lean over and pick up the phone though I'm ninety percent sure who it is. God damn Gibbs.

"Sadler" I mumble. Gibbs better have a good damn case for waking me up.

"Hello, Sara." I hear Ducky, the medical examiner say. I sit up straight. Not who I expected. I reach over and picked up my square rimmed glasses and put them on.

"Good morning Ducky" I start, putting extra emphasis on 'morning'. "What can I do for you?" I ran my hand through my hair.

"I have a body in autopsy… it's not a naval officer but was found with one"

"Do you need me to feel in for Abby?" I ask, referring to my mentor Abby Sciuto, who was in Louisiana for a funeral. I never did have the heart to ask who had died. Although I am technically a field agent, Gibbs, my boss, only trusts two people in the lab: me and Abby.

"No, Sara. I need you to identify the young woman." He says. I frown and stare at my phone.

"Ducky, how the hell do you expect me to do that?" I ask, standing from my bed and heading into my bathroom.

"Trust me, my dear young Sara, you'll be able to" Ducky tells me and hangs up. Damn Scottish man. I throw my phone on my bed and then turn on the water in the shower to the point where it might boil my skin. I peel off my clothes, cracking my neck. How the hell does that man expect to identify the body by looking at the victim?

*^^^^^^^^^^^^^*

"Opfm!" I exclaim, turning off the engine to my '69 candy apple green Corvette. Damn, I love this car, and well… it makes Tony jealous as hell. I push open my door and step out. As I do my jeans leg gets caught. "Crap" I mumble and tug on it. I get it out, down now there's a rip up to my hip. "Mother Fu---"

"Sadler, what are you doing here?" Gibbs asks coming up behind me. I turn around, holding my pants and keeping them near the door so he couldn't see.

"Ducky, he asked me to come in, sir… thinks I'll be able to identify one of the victims…" I say.

"How?" He asks frowning.

"I have no idea." Awkward silence. I hold my keys out. "Do you think you could get in my trunk and grab a pair of pants?"

"Why?" I show him my leg, trying to keep the fact that I'm not wearing underwear hidden from him. He nods and takes the keys from me. He goes to my trunk and pulls out a pair. "They're like little kid jeans…" He mumbles and throws them at me.

"Can you turn around?" I ask sheepishly.

"Why, you're wearing under—oh." He says and turns around, opening his jacket. I chuckle and pull off the ripped pants, throwing them in my car. I put on my black jeans, but now I feel disproportioned. Loose shirt, tight pants, and sneakers?

"Damn." I grumble and head back to my trunk. It's a good thing I always keep extra clothes around. I pull out a tight green shirt, a black jacket to match my jeans and ballet shoes. "Keep standing there." I tell Gibbs, standing behind him again to change. Once I change, I throw the clothes in the car and slam the door, locking it.

Gibbs turns around and for the first time, he notices I have a full figure. I laugh. "Come on, Special Agent Gibbs, we have a murderer to catch" I smile. He chuckles and shakes his head.

*^^^^^^^^^^^^^*

I stand at the autopsy door, still feeling quite queasy; I've never made it very long in autopsy. Tony teases me about that all the time. I shake my head and walk in. Ducky has the body on its stomach, a simple and obvious tattoo on her right shoulder; the left half of a peace sign, of which I have the right side on my left shoulder.

"No," I whimper, walking closer. Ducky looks over at me and I can tell he was happy he hadn't started the actual autopsy.

"Now you see what I mean" Ducky says in more of a statement then a question. I nod and walk closer.

"Can you… can you turn her over?" I ask. I want to be sure.

He grabs the shoulder of the victim and rolls her over. A whimper escapes my throat a sob rips out my body. I nod and Ducky covers up the body.

"I need… Gibbs…" I cry out and run for the elevator.

*^^^^^^^^^^^^^*

I enter the squad room, still sobbing. Gibbs, Tony, and Kate look at me oddly.

"I know who the victim is" I tell them through my tears. At once they all stand up.

"How is that possible?" Kate asks.

"Her name is Brea Melinda Walters… she is my best friend"


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

"How did you know her, Sara?" Gibbs asks me. I look up at him as he hands me a cup of coffee. He put me in integration, but swore up and down that I wasn't a suspect. Riiight.

"She's my best friend, Gibbs. Since our sophomore year in high school." I tell him, thinking of our retardation, how we tortured our old yearbook advisor, how our randomness led to many inside jokes, and how we laughed so loud at lunch people were telling us to shut up*. I smile slightly and sniffle.

"How did you identify her?"

"Brea, another friend and I got a piece of a peace sign on our backs the day after graduation." I say, reaching back behind me to touch the peace sign.

"Name of the other friend?" He asks.

"Grace Sydney." he hands me a piece of paper and I write down all her pertinent information**. "Brea got the left side on her right shoulder, I got the right side on my left shoulder and Grace got the bottom part of the peace sign on her neck… our little slice of irony." I sigh.

"Can you think of anyone who would want to hurt her?" Gibbs asks. I shake my head.

"Brea had the nicest spirit of anyone in Tecumseh. She was nice to everyone as long as they deserved it. She would help anyone if they needed it… she was the best thing to ever happen to me… she changed me, Gibbs." I tell him. "She was the sister I never got to have."

"How was her relationship with her parents?"

"The best. Her mom was like her best friend. Brea and her dad… they were like two peas in a damn pod. Not even I had that nice of a connection with my dad." I say. "Don't take me off this case, Jethro. Brea was my best friend. Brea, Grace, and I had coffee every morning at 0430… Brea hated my schedule but we made due… Grace was used to it… she's our Ducky to the FBI." I say, thinking of the times when Grace and I would dream about being a M.E and a forensic scientist… except in our dreams we would be at the same agency.

"Brea's parents, Deborah and Brad, still live in Tecumseh… I wanna be there when you tell them, Gibbs." I tell him.

"How close were you and the Walters, really?" He asks me. I sigh.

"A week before my sixteenth birthday, my mom was murdered by a gang banger who wanted her car" I stop, thinking of the mangled mess. "He got away with her car and was never caught…"

"And?" He says, emotionless. I look up at him, glaring. Looking Gibbs in the eye, I continue.

"A month later, my heartbroken dad commits suicide…he hung himself in the bathroom… I came from school to find him…and then my brother decides he wants to go to college after all. None of my other relatives were fit to take care of me so I was shipped off to an orphanage. I spent three months traveling to different homes, each abusive until I got to the Walters. When they realized who I was, they adopted me the next day. I'd never been happier. They are my parents, Gibbs. Let me come with you to tell them their baby is dead."

"Sara…"

"**Don't take me off this case, Jethro.**" I say. I can hear the anger in my voice. "Please."

"Don't let your emotions get in the way, Sara." Gibbs says, standing. I stand straight.

"I won't sir. I'm a damn good agent, you know that, sir."

"I do Sara, but you're also a—"

"A girl?" I interrupt.

"No. A probie. A lab rat." He tells me.

"I've done cases that hit home before, Gibbs."

"Never someone you knew. Do you know what its like to investigate the death of someone you knew and loved?" He asks.

"Do you?" I counter. He looks back at me.

"Watch it, Sadler." He warns, putting his fists on the table. "I like you, you're a damn good agent and almost as good as Abby in the lab, but don't cross me or I'll have your badge."

"Sorry, sir." I say grudgingly.

"Don't apologize, Sara, it's a sign of weakness."

"Then I'm weak, Gibbs! She's my best friend!" I shout. I shut my eyes and sit back in the chair. One tear slips out and I shake my head. "I want to find whoever killed her… but it's gonna take all my power not to kill him myself." I admit. Gibbs smiles and lays a hand on my shoulder.

"You're doing your job right when you want to kill a murder suspect yourself." he says. I smile and shake my head.

"I'm gonna miss her Gibbs…" I wipe the tear away.

"I know you are Sara, but you have to get ready to drive to Tecumseh." Gibbs says. "I have no idea where it is." He admits. I laugh and shake my head, standing and walking out to the hallway.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

I cross the border from Ohio to Michigan and I laugh to myself. I haven't been in Michigan since, well I left a week after graduation so it's been a little more than twenty years… Wow. I would pay for Brea's parents to come visit so I never had to go to Michigan. Coming back it brings me back to high school, and the murder of my parents; the things I've ran away from for so long.

I'd forgotten how beautiful Lenawee County really is. The towns were small (for the most part), people knew each other (for the most part), and crime was low (for the most part). Only two of those qualified to my home town of Tecumseh/Britton (grew up in Britton, went to school in Tecumseh).

Small town and low crime rates are the biggest perks of Tecumseh, Michigan. The shops are so close together that if you are walking down the street, sometimes it is hard to tell where one shop ends and the other begins. The only real crimes we had were drunk drivers, pot, and the occasional vandalism and non-creditable bomb threats to the local high school during my freshmen year. A hour later, I reach my childhood home and sigh heavily.

"Gibbs." I say, nudging my boss gently. He makes a small nose but doesn't wake up. "Gibbs." I say again, annoyed. When he didn't make a noise again, I try Kate and Tony. "Kate! Tony!" I semi-shout in the backseat. They both jump a little, stretching. "Morning." I smile. Tony makes a face and looks out the window.

"I hate small towns." He mumbles. I laugh and try Gibbs again.

"Boss!" I yell. Gibbs sits up straight, hitting his head on the top of my car. I laugh and he looks over at me. I wave at him, smiling. "We're here." Gibbs looks at his notebook then the address written on the house.

"Sara, this isn't the right house." He tells me. Tony mumbles something that sounds like 'you grew up with these people and we're at the wrong house?' I hear him grunt and I imagine Kate kicked him.

"I know; this is my childhood home." I look over at Gibbs, who looks back at me oddly. "I still own it and Deb comes over and cleans it once a week. I figured you guys could freshen up, make coffee, and/or eat something." Gibbs nods and I open my door and look at the house I've spent years running from. It hasn't changed much except Deb and Brad painted it.

"I warn you though; I haven't been in this house in over twenty years." I tell them, not sure how being here will affect me. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Tony going for the front door, which is always unlocked. "No, Tony, we use the back door!" I yell, almost frantically. That's where my parents slept. Tony ignores me and opens the door. I run to him, hopefully to close the door before I see anything but before I know it, I'm looking into my parents' bedroom, fighting back tears.

It still looks exactly the same, black blanket on the queen size bed, black and green pillows. The portrait of Dale Earnhardt Jr. is above their bed still, the end tables still as messy as I remember them. My dads' clothes are still in piles everywhere, which I can't help but laugh about.

"Ow." I hear Tony say from behind me, which can only mean Gibbs had slapped him. Gibbs comes up behind me and places his hands on both of my shoulders. I turn and look at him, trying to smile. He leans up and wipes a tear away and I break, falling on his chest. I hear Kate and Tony scrambling to leave.

"I miss them so much, Gibbs." I sob. He rubs my back and cooes in my ear.

"I know you do, Sara. I know." He tells me. I pull away, wiping my tears.

"Okay, since you guys are going to be staying here… you can stay in my parents' room I guess… Kate can stay in mine… and Tony can have my brothers'. No arguments." I smile. "You guys have to be starving anyway." Gibbs smiles and doesn't fight me. I lead him through my parents' room, into the hallway, glancing at the door to my bedroom, then at the door to my brothers' bedroom. I smile a bit and enter the dining room, still covered in snowmen stuff. I laugh and sniffle, then go into the kitchen; Tony and Kate are standing in there, looking at the house.

"Sara, I'm sorry…I didn't realize…" Tony starts, coming closer. I raise my hand to stop him.

"It's okay, Tony. You didn't know." I smile. "Okay, Kate, you'll be in my room for the night and Tony, you'll have my brothers; upstairs in the second room. I'll have the couch." I say.

"Sara I can't--" Kate starts.

"No Kate, you can and will take my room. I don't know if I can do that." I tell her. She smiles and Gibbs and Tony leave to get the bags.

"Sara… why haven't you been here in twenty years?" She asks me. I smile sadly and shrug.

"I haven't been able to come to grips with my parents' death and the way my brother just left, me you know? I just… it's been hard for me." I tell her. She nods and leans over to hug me. I smile and hug her back. "Thanks, Kate." I mumble.

"For what?" She asks.

"For not being a jackass like Tony." She laughs as Tony and Gibbs come in.

"What's so funny Kate?" Tony asks. She shakes her head and takes her bag from him, walking to my bedroom, which is hers for the night. Tony leaves for the upstairs and Gibbs goes to my parents'. I head for the bathroom and look in the mirror. In the mirror, I don't see a thirty two year old woman; I see a sixteen year old girl with a lot of eyeliner on. I see someone insecure with herself, someone who just wants the world to leave her alone. I shake my head and think of how far I've come since them. I brush my teeth and change into some pajamas, red shorts and a black tank top, and walk back to the living room, curling my legs under my bum. I smile and lean my head on the arm of the couch, shutting my eyes.

^**********^

For the fifth time tonight, I've woken up with no explanation. I look over at the time; it's been twenty minutes since I last woke up. I hear the T.V playing from my parents' room, which causes me to stand up and walk back to their room. My boss is sitting up, leaning against the wall. I knock on the door (that doesn't close at all) and lean against the doorframe . Gibbs looks over at me, again noticing my figure. I smile slightly and look at his clothes. Sweats and a Marine shirt of course; Gibbs can't escape the Marines.

"Hey boss." I say with a smile. "I heard the T.V. Bet you're not used to cable are you?" I ask. He shakes his head.

"Can't sleep Sara?" he asks me. I nod.

"I've been up five times tonight." He pats on the space next to him on the bed and I walk slowly over, sitting on the bed, curling my legs again. "I just never expected I would have to come back here… at least not until Deb or Brad dies." Gibbs shocks me by putting his arm around my shoulder and pulling me in close.

"It will never get easier, trust me I know." He tells me. I nod and give a fake smile.

"That's comforting Gibbs. Thanks." I say and lay my head on his shoulder.

"Are you gonna be able to tell the parents tomorrow?" he asks me. I look up at him.

"Yes, they should hear it from someone who knew and loved their daughter as much as they did." I say. He smiles and nods. "I'm not used to being here… This place… it has so many memories… good and bad…" I mumble, looking around the room.

"That's how my house is… memories of Shannon and Kelly…" he says. I look up; I've never heard him speak about them; I know because Timothy McGee, a cutie in the computer department, hacked into his personnel file after Tony threatened him.

"How can you still live there?" I ask in a whisper. I'm not sure if I'm stepping a boundary or not, but he answers;

"I spend all my time in the basement, I hardly notice." he says. I smile.

"Well I don't have a basement so I can't build a boat… and I'm not that talented or have that much patience." I say, smiling. Gibbs laughs. I lay my head back on the shoulder and look at the TV, which is playing CSI, the original. "Grissom reminds me of you… no one questions him and he always knows." I say. "Except of course, you're much sexier." I say in a 'matter of fact, don't question me' tone. Gibbs chuckles and I shut my eyes, over come by Gibbs'… Gibbs…ness. He's comfy to sleep on.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

"Uh, boss?" Tony DiNozzo calls, looking in on his boss and me. I open my eyes slowly and realize I'm not on the couch and my head isn't on a pillow. I look up at my makeshift pillow: Gibbs. I jump out of the bed, stumbling back. I look down to make sure I have my clothes on, and, thankfully, I do. I shudder on the thoughts of what _could_ have happened. It's not that I wouldn't mind… sleeping with my boss because I wouldn't mind that… but he's my boss. Why does he have to be my boss? I turn to Tony.

"You saw nothing. Understand?" I threaten in a low voice and escape to the bathroom. After I shower, I dress sensibly for the cool fall Michigan weather; black jeans, a yellow shirt and a black jacket. I barely put any make up on, but when I look in the mirror, I still see the girl with three pounds of eyeliner on. I smile and wipe away the steam, the thirty two year old woman shining through again. I am still mildly attractive… I think. I hope. Not enough to have a boyfriend, but I still get looks when I'm walking down the street.

Anyway! _Time for coffee _I think tiredly, walking into my kitchen. I put the coffee beans in my maker, along with water and wait. It takes twenty minutes for it to fill up and in that time, I complete two Sudoku puzzles and have a bowl of cereal. Do you think I am smart? Ha.

"Morning, Sara." I hear Gibbs say from behind me. I have a cup of warm coffee in my hands when I turn around and smile at Gibbs.

"Morning, Gibbs." I say, grabbing another coffee mug. I hand him the empty one and watch him as he pours a cup for himself. I have been aware of Gibbs' attractive ness for a while, but never like this. I've never noticed how he walks with pride and confidence, how he gives orders like it's something he was meant to do. I bite my lip and he looks over at me, sipping his coffee.

"Something on your mind, Sara?" He asks me. I look at him and smile.

"Nope, boss. How's the coffee?" I ask.

"Perfect." He seems to flirt. I laugh and Tony and Kate come out. They seem to notice the weird tension between us and Tony breaks the silence.

"So how about the victim's parents?" Tony asks. I look over at him, unfazed by his insensitivity. I smile and look up to Gibbs.

"I know the way by heart." Gibbs chuckles and lets me lead the way out to the car and into the town of Tecumseh, Michigan, to the house of soon to be mourners, Deborah and Bradley Walters.

*^^^^^^^^^^^*

"This is so cute!" Kate squeals when we pull into the drive way. I laugh and put the car in park, turning off the engine. The house still looks the same; small, yellow, covered with plants( old egg stains from when she was egged) and the Converse sneaker vase on the stairs. I smile and open my door.

"Beware, the overwhelming smell of candles and really good food are about to overcome you. Don't mind the dogs; they like people. Actually Lily doesn't, but she doesn't come up from the basement so you're okay, plus seriously, you could drop-kick them out the window they are so small." I warn them, smiling. I run up to the door and knock on it. My stomach is clutching with nerves, I've told people their husband/wife/child/mother/father is dead before, but I've never known them beforehand.

"Sara!" Deb squeals when she opens the door. She pulls me into a hug and holds me close. I sigh, okay so maybe Gibbs was right and I shouldn't be doing this.

"Hey Deb…" I pull away. "This isn't a social call… I'm here with NCIS. Special Agents Gibbs, DiNozzo and Todd." I tell her, pointing each of them out. Her face falls and I know she knows.

"Come in please." She says and opens the door wide. We enter the house, the smell of her _famous _ham dinner hits me and makes my mouth water; she makes the best ham. I enter the living room, where Brad is on the couch, watching T.V. When he sees me, he stands.

"Brad please sit…" I tell him, sitting on the couch myself. Behind me, Gibbs, Kate and Tony watch me. Deb sits next to Brad and I lean over, taking both of their hands. "Brigadier General Joseph Spencer was found Thursday morning with a civilian…" I start. I look down at the ground and sigh. "It was Brea."

Deb lets out a sob and lays her head on her husbands shoulder. I try not to cry myself; I don't want to upset the family even more; and with Tony watching me, he' will never let me forget it.

"How?" Brad asks.

"We don't know yet, our M.E. hasn't—" At the moment almost on cue, my cell phone rings. "Excuse me." I say and answer it.

"Sadler." I say into the phone.

"Sara, I've got a cause of death." Ducky tells me.

"Why didn't you call Gibbs?" I ask.

"I think his phone is dead… that man and his lack of technology." Even through the phone, I can hear Ducky shaking his head.

"How, Ducky?" I ask.

"Asphyxiation." He says.

"Wait… we didn't find any bruises on the neck or any signs of trauma on the mouth or nose." I say, confusion seeping into my voice.

"I know… which is why I was… well, confused. Until I looked in her nose; laughing gas." At the suggestion of laughing gas being the cause of death, I let out a single laugh myself. "I'm serious, Sara." I shake my head softly.

"It's just ironic Ducky." I say to him. I hand over the phone to Gibbs and turn back to Brad and Deb. I grab their hands again. "We will do everything we can to find out who did this, Brad. I will stop at nothing to find the people who killed her."

"You better. I don't… I don't trust anyone but you finding the person who killed my baby girl." Brad says. I smile and look over at my team.

"I have the best team to work with, Brad. We will find this out and I will personally make sure that person goes to jail." I squeezed their hands.

"Can you think of anyone who would want to hurt your daughter?" Tony asks. I look back at him, narrowing my eyes. "I have to ask this, Sara." He tells me. I look back at them.

"No." Brad said, shaking his head.

"Did she have a boyfriend?" Tony asks.

"I don't think so… when Brea called us we never talked about her love life." Deb said honestly. I nod and stand up, walking to the kitchen, where Gibbs is standing silently.

"Gibbs." I say softly. He turns around and looks at me.

"How are you?" He asks.

"I'm, uh… I've always… I never imagined telling my best friend's parents their daughter was dead you know? It's easy to do it when you don't know the person but…" I shook my head. Gibbs nods and pats my shoulder, a far cry from holding me last night. Deb and Brad come back in the kitchen with us.

"Where are you staying Sara? We have… well one extra room and the guest bed in the basement…" Brad offers.

"At my old house."

"Speaking of which, we must get back to investigating your daughter's murder." Gibbs says, placing his hand on the small of my back.

"Please find who ever did this, Sara." Deb says, hugging me again.

"I will. I promise on the memory of my parents that I will find whoever killed her." I whisper and hold her hand as I walk to the door until my hand sleeps away from her.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

I pull the box of Frosted Flakes off the shelf and put it in my cart, checking cereal off the list. Now I have to wait for Tony to bring the ice cream. Boss made me take Tony along with me to grocery shop so that he would know his way around town too. I yawn and shut my eyes.

"Sara?" I hear from behind me. I turn around slowly and see Michael Swan; my ex boyfriend, behind me. Mike still looks the same, and that's really saying something because I haven't seen him since his high school graduation (over twenty years ago).

"Mike?" I whisper, not sure what I'm seeing. He smiles and starts to walk to me but I step back quickly.

"Sara, what's wrong?" He asks.

"I haven't seen you since your graduation… when you left me." I tell him, shaking my head sadly. "Didn't Haven tell you how bad that hurt me?" I ask. Haven was like, amazing. She's really smart, but sadly we lost touch after I escaped Michigan.

"It was the worst mistake I have ever made, Sara." He tells me.

"Stop saying my name!" I say forcefully. All I want is for Tony to come but I have to admit it is nice to see Mike.

"How have you been? What do you do now?"

"I'm an NCIS Agent." I tell him and leave it at that.

"Oh. It was your dream, wasn't it?" He asks. I nod.

"What about you? Are you an EMT?" I ask, keeping my distance.

"Nope." He says in a familiar 'don't ask anymore' voice. I nod and look around. "What's NCIS doing in Michigan?" He asks me.

"I never said I was here with NCIS." I say, warily. Mike looks down at me and shakes his head. I look at him and open my mouth to say something, but Tony comes up.

"I got mint chocolate chip, cookie dough and regular vanilla," He tells me, putting the three cases in the cart. I look up at Tony, then over at Mike. "Who are you?"

"Tony, this is Mike Swan, my ex boyfriend. Mike this is–" Tony interrupts me, sticking his hand out to shake Mike's.

"Anthony DiNozzo. I'm with Sara," He says, putting his arm around me. I push him away.

"He's my partner at NCIS." I tell Mike. Mike's pager goes off and he looks, nodding, like whoever paged him can see. I give him a 'you will tell me everything' look and he rolls his eyes. He tells me he will call me later and starts to walk away. I start to tell him that he doesn't have my number anymore, but he continues to walk away. I look up at Tony, confused.

"I wonder what that was about." He wonders a loud. I shrug and look at the list, we have everything.

"Come on, DiNozzo, let's go check out and get to the boss." I say and turn the cart around.

"Oh yeah, the boss. You and him seemed a little comfortable this morning." He says, then 'coughs' "_Rule Number 12". _I laugh.

"It was nothing Tony; I fell asleep while watching CSI with him." He nods. "If you don't believe me, why don't you ask the boss man yourself?" I tease, knowing he won't do it. He shakes his head at me. Tony and I both know I have Gibbs wrapped around my finger; the question is why.

^*****************^

We pull up to the house and see that there is a black federal issue car, almost identical to ours, sitting in the driveway. I sigh and grab the bag of bread and eggs and go inside; behind me Tony brings the milk and ice cream.

"Agent Gibbs, this case has been our radar for five years." I hear the familiar voice of Michael Swan say.

"I don't care, Agent Swan, you're not taking this case from NCIS. One of my investigators knows the victim." I heard Gibbs say. I drop the bag, eggs cracking. Michael and Gibbs look at me.

"You want to take this away from me?" I ask, shaking my head. Mike smiles at me and walks closer but I back up. This seems familiar.

"Sara…"

"Agent Sadler." Gibbs says. "You will call her Agent Sadler, or ma'am." Gibbs tells Mike in a forceful voice.

"Agent Sadler… this has been on our radar for five years." Mike tells me.

"I don't give a flying _fuck_ if this has been on your radar for two god damn centuries, NCIS has jurisdiction. Whatever agency you're with hasn't been able to catch this person before and we will. With God as my witness, I will find whoever killed _my best friend _and I will put them in jail." I say my voice so dark and threatening, I don't even recognize it.

"I could work out a joint investi---" Mike starts.

"No. No joint investigation." I say, shaking my head. Gibbs looks at me and nods, he agrees with me. Mike sighs. "Get off my property, _Agent Swan_." I hiss his last name. He looks at me like I'm being unreasonable.

"Can't I at least take you out for dinner sometime, as friends?" He asks. I start to say no, but Tony interrupts.

"So you can try to get information out of my probie? I think not!" Tony says, putting a protective arm around me. I feel warm and fuzzy, but I imagine he's doing this for face in front of the boss. Tears brim my eyes and I look away.

"I believe the lady told you to get off her property." Tony says. Silence surrounds us and I think that Mike is gone so I let out the sob I was holding in. Tony stares down at me and Gibbs hits him and pulls me in for a hug to let me sob.

"Letting you go really was the worst mistake of my life, Sara." Mike says from the door. Gibbs looks up and glares at him, almost growling. "You'll be getting a call from my director, Agent Gibbs."

"I hope I do," Gibbs growls. Mike slams the door shut and Gibbs holds me tighter.

^***********^

I turn off the water and submerge myself in the steaming hot water. It hurts like hell; but it feels so good at the same time. After today's events; pain is quite nice. I crack my neck and sigh. About an hour later someone knocks at my door

"What?" I call out, the bubbles covering my naked chest. I throw my legs over the edge of the tub and sigh again.

"I have to piss." Gibbs says. I laugh.

"Go outside!" I giggle.

"It's cold out there! Shrinkage!"

"You sound like Tony!" I yell and lay back again. "Come in, I'm just in the bath!" The door opens slowly and Gibbs comes in. I open my eyes just as I notice him look at my legs, to the soap covering the rest of my body. I laugh and pull my legs back in, sitting up and pulling my legs to my chest. "See something you like, boss?" I tease. He shakes his head but then nods and then shakes his head again. I laugh and lay out again, smiling.

"I just um…I…" he stutters.

"Don't you need to piss?" I tease again. He nods and turns to the toilet. I hear him unzip his pants. "Did Agent Swans director call?" I ask.

"Uh yeah… He's ordered us to keep Agent Swan in the loop. He's to know about all evidence and integrations." Gibbs says.

"Do I have to work with him?" I ask, shutting my eyes and cracking my neck.

"Nope, all interactions with Agent Swan go through me or DiNozzo." He says, zipping up his pants. He grabs the doorknob then looks over at me.

"Sara? I see _a lot_ that I like." He says and leaves. I laugh and wait a few minutes before getting out of the tub and getting dressed in a pair of shorts and a t-shirt before joining Gibbs once again in my parents' room for a marathon of CSI.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

"I've been going over Brea's phone records." Kate starts as I lay two plates of eggs, bacon, hash browns, and toast in front of her and Tony.

"Yeah?" I ask, going back into the kitchen for Gibbs' and my plate. I come back in and sit down at the table.

Looking at the seating arrangement, I smile. Gibbs is sitting where my daddy used to sit, Kate where my mom was, and Tony were my brother was. It reminds me that we are a family, no matter how dysfunctional my NCIS family is. Very considering I have the hots for Gibbs.

"One number occurs a lot…" Kate takes a bite of the eggs and gives me a thumbs up.

"Duh, Kate, mine." I say, eating my hash brown. Gibbs and Tony are silent; they are shoveling the food in their mouths.

"No, someone else's. Not Grace Sydney's either." She said. I frown.

"See if Abby can find it." Gibbs says through his food. I throw a piece of bacon at him.

"Don't speak with your mouth full, boss." I tease. He swallows and repeats his statement. Kate nods and picks up her phone to call Abby. I smile and go back to eating my hash browns.

"So, uh, what happened with you and Agent Swan?" He asks me. I swallow and say,

"He's my ex boyfriend. We dated when he was a senior and I was a junior. He left the night of graduation and I never heard from him again. He didn't even break up with me properly." Gibbs nods and Tony speaks up.

"Want me to beat him up?" I laugh and shake my head.

"It just reminds me of my high school days, seeing him. Trust me Tony, I wasn't always the smart and beautiful woman I am today." I hear Gibbs and Tony snort and I look at both of them. "What?"

"You not smart?" Tony laughs.

"You not beautiful?" Gibbs chuckles. So I except the answers to be the other way around, but it doesn't bother me. I smile and go back to eating. I sigh heavily and get up, going to the bathroom. I lean over the sink and sigh. I pull out my phone and dial a number I know I'll come to regret.

"Agent Swan." Mike says into the phone.

"Meet me at McDonald's in twenty minutes. If you ask _anything_ about the case, I'm going to kill you because I can do so without leaving any evidence." I shake my head and head slap myself for Gibbs and leave.

"Where are you going?" Gibbs asks.

"The Walters'." I lie. "I'm going to help them plan the funeral." I must have been convincing because he let me walk away.

^*****************^

I take a drink of my coffee, waiting for Mike. I look at my watch; he's already ten minutes late. I shake my head. Typical Mike. Maybe this was a mistake…

"Hey, Sara." Mike says, sitting in the booth with me. I look up at him, frowning.

"You're ten minutes late." I tell him. He shakes his head at me.

"Typical Sara, always keeping track of my flaws." He says with a smile.

"Typical Mike, giving me flaws to keep track of." I say with a teasing smile. "We're going back to Washington tomorrow… Gibbs can't know we're meeting here."

"Why not?" He asks(1).

"He would kick my ass and most likely have my badge for defying his order." I explain.

"That was?"

"All communications between Agent Swan and NCIS are to be through me or DiNozzo." I imitate Gibbs in a gruff voice. Mike laughs and reaches over to take the hand that is lying on the table. I pull it away, shaking my head. "I'm not the same girl, Mike. I'm a lot different. I've grown up." I tell him.

"I have too. Look Sara, when I left… I was doing it for you." He tells me.

"For me? You broke my heart, Mike. I couldn't get out of my bed for a week. _I didn't shower; I smelled bad._" I emphasize the last part. He smiles and reaches up to touch my face.

"I had signed up for the CIA a week before I graduated. They told me as soon as I graduated I had to leave and sever all ties with my friends and my family." He tells me sadly.

"So you didn't want to leave me?" I ask, frowning. He shakes his head and I sit back, sighing. "Why didn't you just tell me, Mike? I would have accepted that. He shrugs.

"So where does that leave us now?" He asks.

"In a red McDonald's booth." I smile. He laughs and holds my hand again.

^******^

I take Mike to my old 'safe world', which is really just a old patch of woods with a small river and a small bridge that no body notices anymore. For a half hour we've sat in silence just watching the water, my head on his shoulder and his arm wrapped around me.

"Can I ever…" Mike breaks the silence

"I don't know, Mike… You remind me of the past I've been running away from for the past twenty years … you know what happened to my mom and dad don't you?" I ask sadly. He shakes his head. That's right it happened after he left. "A week before my seventeenth birthday, my mom was murdered by a gang banger who wanted her car" I stop, thinking of the mangled mess. "He got away with her car and was never caught…"

"Sara…" He whispers. I raise my hand to stop him.

"A month later, my heartbroken dad commits suicide…he hung himself in the bathroom… I came from school to find him…and then my brother decides he wants to go to college after all…" I trail off. I look up at Mike and smile sadly. "But Brea's parents adopted me three months later and gave me a good home. I escaped to Washington D.C and went to college and became a forensic scientist. I worked under Abby Sciuto for three years before Gibbs made me a field agent… and I've worked with him, Tony, Kate Todd and Tim McGee for about… four years now."

"Are you really dating Tony?" He asks. I laugh.

"No, Tony was just messing with you, Mike. Tony treats me like shit most of the time. I'm the biggest reason Gibbs head slaps him now." I tell Mike. He opens his mouth to say something, but my phone rings. I look at the caller ID.

Gibbs. "Shit." I mutter. "Sadler." I say into the phone.

"We got the name of the number that called Brea a lot, get home; we're going back to Washington now to interview him."

"Yes, boss. I'll be right there." I tell Gibbs.

"Tell Agent Swan will you?" He asks and hangs up. I look at the phone, eyes wide.

"He knew!" I look at Mike. "He knew I was with you! What the helllll?" I stress 'hell.' Mike laughs at me. "He wants me back in Washington now. We got the name of the number that called Brea a lot." I explain. He nods and walks me back to my car. I look up at him and smile. "It's been nice to see you again, Michael." I tell him. He leans down and kisses me softly.

"I really hope this isn't the last time I'll get to see you, Sara-Bear." He says, using that stupid pet name he had for me. I laugh and get in my car.

"If Gibbs doesn't kill me himself, maybe I'll call you. I've got a lot to think about, Mike." I tell him, putting my car in drive. He nods and I drive away, the image of Mike standing in the middle of the road with his hands in his pocket, remains in the side mirror even after I've driven to the airport.

Comment from Robin: (1) Come on Lacey, who else would he ask? "Excuse me random teenage cashier, why can't Gibbs know Sara and I are meeting here?" She'd be like "Um… I don't know." That's Robin. You suck.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

"Good morning, Gibbs." I say nervously, coming into the squad room, vacant of Tony and Kate. For once, I wish Tony is here. Gibbs looks up from his desk and smiles.

"Good morning, Sara." He says as I go to my desk. "How did your date with Agent Swan go?" He asks as I turn on my computer. I look up at him. His face looks hard and bitter.

"It wasn't a date, Gibbs. It was a dinner between two thirty something year olds who used to date and it probably won't happen again." I explain, sitting down at my desk.

"Why not?" He asks.

"It was nice to see Mike, I won't deny, that but… he's my past… I'm not the same girl anymore and I'm not sure he's changed." I say. "That and I don't like anyone who wants to take a case away from NCIS." I say. Gibbs chuckles and then his landline rings.

"Yeah, Gibbs. What are you waiting for DiNozzo? Bring him in!" Gibbs hangs up. "We're bringing in the guy who kept calling her. Why don't you call Agent Swan and tell him?"

"I thought all communications had to go through you or DiNozzo." I say. He gets up and starts walking to the elevator.

"It didn't stop you last time." He says. I watch him hit the button for the elevator and step in. On a whim, I stand up and run for the door, barely catching it. The doors shut and I turn off the elevator. "What the hell, Sara?" He asks me. I look up at him.

"Why are you having such a problem with the fact that I had coffee and talked with Mike?" I ask, crossing my arms.

"You didn't see yourself after he left your house, Sara. You were hurt, devastated." He says. I shake my head. "What?"

"I don't think that's it." I tell him.

"What do you think it is, then?" He asks me.

"I think you like me, Gibbs, and it bothers you to know that someone from my past, someone I have already dated and loved, wants me back." Gibbs stares at me and I basically know I'm right [I always am]. "Kiss me Gibbs." I order.

"Twelve." He says, referring to his rules.

"Fuck, Gibbs. I'm not asking you to date or marry me. I'm asking, no _telling_ you to kiss me and we'll see where it goes." I tell him. He looks at me for a long time and I sigh. "You have five seconds to kiss me before I kiss you." I tell him. He chuckles and then leans down to kiss me. At first the kiss starts off sweet and soft but grows in intensity. I pull away when air is needed, smiling. "Wow. For an old man, you kiss well." I tell him and start the elevator again. I fall silent for a few minutes, thinking.

"Well?" He asks me. I shrug.

"I'm thinking about who kisses better." I say, thinking.

"When you decide?" He asks me. I smile teasingly.

"I have to sleep with both of you to decide whose better altogether." I joke and look over at him teasingly. He laughs and the elevator drops us off near the integration room.

^****^

"Riley Armstrong." Tony says, walking into observation where Gibbs and I stand. I look over at 'Riley Armstrong' and think. He definitely looks like someone Brea would date; he looks smart and respectable. His hair is blondish brown and cut semi-short and I can see that he has green eyes that could make a lesbian straight.

"I wanna interrogate him, Gibbs." I tell Gibbs, turning around. I look him in the eye. He looks at me, still recuperating from our kiss. He collects himself and nods at me, handing me the file.

"Gibbs, you cannot let her interrogate someone; she's a probie!" Tony shouts. I get in his face.

"Don't think I can hold my own, Anthony?" I ask.

"No, I don't, Sara." Tony tells me. I tilt my head to the side.

"Today is a day of confrontations." I mumble and pull Tony into the hallway. I push him against the wall and stare at him intensely. "Why are you such a dick Tony? Ever since I became a field agent, you've been acting like a little kid whose neighbor had a bigger bike then you." I tell him, crossing my arms. Tony shakes his head. "Tell me, Tony, or I'm going to call you every five minutes and tell you to tell me. I can be really annoying sometimes." I tell him.

"When I first got to NCIS, Gibbs couldn't stand me… Abby couldn't stand me… hell, even _Ducky_ had to warm up to me; but not with you. Everyone loved you right away. Ducky, Gibbs, Abby… they all loved you, Sara." He says. I let out a soft laugh.

"That's why you've been a jerk? Because they warmed up to me quicker?" I ask in disbelief. He nods. "Tony, I have breasts; of course they like me more!" I joke and smile. Tony laughs.

"Double team Armstrong?" He asks.

"Hell, two federal agents would scare Hitler. Let's go." I say and go into integration, Tony following.

Riley is sitting in the chair, twiddling his thumbs together. He looks nervous, as do most murder suspects. _Stop it Sara, he isn't a suspect! He is just a 'person of interest'. _I sit across from him and Tony leans against the wall. "I'm Agent Sara Sadler, this is Agent Tony DiNozzo." I say, nodding at DiNozzo.

"Why am I here? I don't know anyone in the Navy or Military." He says. I pull out a picture of Brea on the slab and lay it in front of him. "Oh my god… Brea?" He asks.

"She was found Thursday morning with Brigadier General Joseph Spencer." I tell him. "How do you know her?" I ask, showing the phone records, his number highlighted.

"She was my girlfriend. We've been dating for three weeks." He says. I look at his face, trying to figure out if he was telling the truth. So far he is.

"That's funny because she happens to be my best friend and she's never mentioned you before." I tell him, frowning.

"She didn't want to tell anyone… I don't know why she didn't." I lick my lips and watch him. He shakes his head and picks up the picture. "You say she was found with someone?" He asks.

"Brigadier General Joseph Spencer." I say again, showing his picture. "They were both killed the same way; Asphyxiation by laughing gas." I say again. "Do you have any idea why she was with him?" I ask. He shakes his head.

"Do you have access to laughing gas?" Tony asks from behind him.

"Wha—you guys think I killed Brea? She was my girlfriend!" Riley shouts. I smile inwardly and see where Tony is going with this.

"And she was found with some other guy. Was she cheating?" I ask, mentally beating myself up for even suggesting that about Brea.

"No, no! She would never do that!" He yells.

"Maybe she was spending too much time with him. Maybe you were jealous." Tony suggests.

"Shut up!" Riley screams, tears streaming down at his hands.

"He didn't do it." Tony says.

"I know. You're free to go, Riley. We'll be in touch." I tell him, standing and leaving for the door.

"Are you really Brea's best friend?" He asks, sobbing.

"Yes, I am. I've known her almost twenty-five years." I tell him, my hand on the door knob. "I'm planning her funeral. I'll send you an invite." I say and open the door, shutting it hard behind me. Gibbs is waiting for Tony and me, leaning against the wall hands in his pockets. "He didn't do it, boss." I say. He nods and starts walking. I jog to catch up to him, leaving Tony to watch.

"You and Tony did well in there." Gibbs tells me, walking with me down the stairs. I smile.

"Thanks, Gibbs." I say. I hit the third to last step with my foot catches in the stair and I go flying. When I land on the floor in the squad room, I look up at the ceiling oddly. Gibbs grabs my arm and pulls me up.

"Are you okay, Sara?" He asks me. I laugh and walk to my desk slowly, very slowly.

"Yeah, I can just trip over anything." I say and sit at my desk. "Still want me to call Agent Swan?" I ask, tapping my nails.

"Nah, I'll do it. Go help Abby." He says. I laugh and go to stand, but sway down. For the first time since we left Michigan, McGee shows up and catches me. How in the world does McGee just show up out of nowhere? He's learning Gibbs' magical powers. I wanna learn Gibbs' magical powers! I smile at McGee.

"Let me get my equilibrium balanced and I'll get going." I say, standing straight. Gibbs laughs at me and leans over to make that phone call. I head down to Abby's lab, going in the same elevator I kissed Gibbs in earlier. I smile at the memory and press 'down' on the elevator.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

"Hey Abs." I say, walking into her lab. Abby stops going through phone records when I walk in. She turns around and tackles me in a hug. "Um, hi Abby." I say, hugging her back.

"Sara, I'm so sorry about your friend!" She shouts, hugging me closer. I smile and pat her back.

"Thanks, Abby." I say. She pulls away and points at me.

"I have a name for you." She tells me.

"Don't you want to wait for Gibbs? He should be down here soon; he has to call Agent Swan."

"I heard about Agent Swan, was he really your ex?" Abby asks.

"Tony?" I ask. She nods. "Yes he was my ex and no that isn't going to affect my job. Maybe Gi--- Hi Gibbs." I say, feeling his presence behind me.

"Hi, Sara. Agent Swan is on his way to NCIS." Gibbs says, basically whispering. Abby leans closer to read his lips.

"Why?" I ask, breathless.

"The director of CIA wants him working as a liaison for the CIA. He'll be here tomorrow" He tells me. I can't help but groan. I'm having enough trouble sorting out my feelings for Mike and Gibbs with Gibbs here, but both of them here? This will be fun.

"Interesting." I say.

"I have a name, Gibbs!" Abby yells, smiling. I look at Abby and smile.

"Don't make me say please, Abby." Gibbs says. I smile and lick my lips.

"Marianne Meyer. She lived with General Joseph Spencer." Abby says. Gibbs leans over and kisses Abby's cheek, a normal occurrence that normally didn't bother me, but now it filled my stomach with envy.

"Good job, Abby." Gibbs says and walks out. I watch Gibbs as he walks out the lab, biting my lip.

"Oh… my… god…" Abby says, slowly. I look over at her. "You told Gibbs how you felt!" Abby yells, pointing at me.

"Kind of… It was more… I showed him how I feel." I say, pursuing my lips and raising my eyebrows. Abby giggles and leans again her desk.

"How was it?" She asks. I look at her oddly. "Gibbs' kiss! Come on, don't leave me hanging!" Abby whines.

"I'm not telling you Abby. This girl does not kiss and tell." I tell her, smiling.

"Saaaaaaaaaaaaaaaara, please!!!!" Abby whines again. I try to leave her lab, but Abby soon pins me on her wall. "Tell me how good a kisser Gibbs is or I will kiss you myself." Abby threatens. I raise an eyebrow.

"Really?" I ask. "I'm not going to tell you." I say, smiling evilly. Abby tilts her head at me and I laugh.

"Please kiss her." I hear Tony say. Abby and my head turns towards the door, where Tony and the new medical examiner assistant, Jimmy Palmer is standing. I laugh and escape from Abby.

"Oh Abby, who says Gibbs and I kissed?" I wink and walk with a bounce out her lab. I enter the elevator, still in view of Abby, Jimmy and Tony who were gawking at me. Oh I love myself.

^****************************^

I sit at my desk, staring longingly at a picture of Brea, Grace and I when a loud shout of my name breaks my concentration. I look up at a tall woman with brown hair is coming at me. I stand up and walk up to her.

"Grace!" I yell and pull her in for a hug. I feel her body sake and I know she's crying now. I rub her back and shut my eyes; I've done enough crying. I pull away and touch her face. "I'm sorry I didn't call you, I've been so busy with the investigation."

"It's okay." She lets out a soft sob. "Did you tell Deb?" I nod sadly.

"Yeah, I went with NCIS to tell her." Grace's tear subsided and she wiped her tears away.

"You went to Michigan?" Grace asks. I nod and walk with her down to the lounge to have a little privacy. We sit at one of the blue plastic tables.

"Yeah… It was for Brea and her parents… so I sucked it up and I went." I say and reach out to hold her hand. I squeeze her hand and sigh. "I still can't believe it… how could someone want to kill her?" I ask, shaking my head. Grace sighs. "I stayed in my old house." I tell her. She looks up, eyes wide.

"How did that go?" She asks me. I smile lightly.

"Better then I thought… Tony stayed in my brothers' room, Kate in my old room, Gibbs stayed in my parents' room and I intended on staying in the living room." I tell her.

"Intended, Sara?" She asks me, raised eyebrow and smiling.

"Well… I ended up sleeping in my parents' room with Gibbs every night… all unintentional of course." I say with another smile.

"Unintentional?" She asks.

"Do I have to explain everything, Grace?" I ask. She nods. "We were just talking at first and then I fell asleep on his shoulder and he didn't wake me up… okay the first time was unintentional, the other times I totally planned." I say, laughing. Grace laughs at me and shakes her head sadly.

"You are insane, Sara. You could get fired if you had a relationship with Gibbs." Grace tells me.

"I've thought about that." I say. "And if I get fired, I'll just come work for the FBI." I tease. Grace shakes her head.

"First CIA, now FBI wants in on this case?" I hear Gibbs say from behind me. I turn and look at him, smiling.

"Hi, boss. No FBI doesn't. This is Dr. Sydney of the FBI, but she's part of the trio of Brea, Grace and Sara." I tell Gibbs.

"Well, Dr. Sydney, go talk to Ducky about boring medicine stuff; Sara has to integrate a suspect." I smile and stand up to Gibbs, looking up at him.

"Two in one day Gibbs? I'm on a roll." I flirt as Grace escapes to the world of medical… stuff that I don't understand.

"Just don't kill any of the suspects, eh?" He asks me. I laugh mockingly.

"If they killed Brea, can I kill them?" I ask. Gibbs smiles and leans over, his lips brushing against my cheek as he whispers;

"We'll talk about it." He sends shivers down my spine and I shut my eyes, scared to open them. "Open you're eyes, Agent Sadler." He mumbles against my ear. I open my eyes reluctantly and take in a long shaky breath. "Let's go integrate her." I laugh as he pulls away.

"For an old man, you kiss well and you tease evilly, also very well." I tell him, walking with him to integration. He laughs and opens the door for me. "Thank you, sir." I say suggestively and walk down the hallway to the squad room. He watches me walk down the hallway, shoving my hands in my pack pockets. I glance back at him then back to the direction I'm walking and see Tony and Kate watching me. I laugh and take the elevator to integration.

^******************^

Marianne Meyer is a blonde blue eye bombshell who looks more scared then guilty. Then again, all the guilty ones are scared of getting caught which causes them to look more scared then guilty. I watch her for a few minutes in observation with Gibbs standing close behind me, his hot breath on my neck.

"Why aren't you talking to her?" Gibbs whispers.

"I'm assessing her Gibbs; trying to figure out her weakness." I run my sweaty hands over my pant leg. He is making me nervous.

"Couldn't you do that better in there?" He asks me.

"Hush." I say and move out from in front of him, walking to the door. "What's your gut tell you, Gibbs?" I ask. As a scientist, gut feelings have always been a little sketchy to me but Gibbs seems to always be right.

"That if you don't get in there I'm going to start smacking you like I do DiNozzo and Kate." He says, looking back at me. I smile and shake my head. "And if you solve this case without harming someone, I'll buy you dinner." I fake gasp.

"Take out?" I tease.

"No, that one Italian restaurant you love so much." He teases me with the thought of Antonio's. I shake my head and run to the door.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

"Hi Marianne, I'm Special Agent Sara Sadler, how are you today?" I ask in sickly sweet voice, with a hint of a Southern accent I didn't know existed.

"Oh, I'm great, _Special Agent Sara Sadler_." She hisses my title and name. "In the middle of a manicure…" She shows me her ruined pink nails. I actually feel bad for a moment, looking down at my own deep purple nails; I hate when they get messed up before they could dry. "Your agents drag me out of the salon and bring me to this place, leave me in this room and—"

I raise my hand to stop her.

"When I asked how you were; it was a rhetorical question." I say, slamming the folder on the desk.

"A what?" She asks.

"I was only asking it to be nice, I don't care how your day as been." She gasps and I open the folder and show her the picture of Brea. "Do you know her?" I ask, slamming it down in front of her. She shakes her head.

"Why should I?" She asks. I pull out the picture of Joseph Spencer.

"How about him?" I ask coldly. She brings her hand to her face and lets out a sob. "How do you know him?"

"He's my boyfriend… we live together." She sobs.

"He's been dead for four days, why didn't you report him missing?" I ask. She takes the picture from me and stares at it.

"I figured he was working… sometimes he just doesn't come home and stays at the base…" She looks from the picture of Spencer to the picture of Brea. "What does she have to do with Joey?" She asks.

"They were found together, murdered Thursday morning in a park." I tell her coldly.

"M—murdered?" she stutters. If she did do it, she's a good actress.

"Yes, murdered. What was your boyfriend doing with her?" I ask heartlessly, leaning back.

"I---I don't know… could it just be a coincidence?" She asks. I smile.

"Two people found together, murdered at the same and the same way? I don't think so." I tell her. "What do you do for a living, Ms. Meyer?" I ask, titling my head sideways.

"I'm a dental assistant. I administer the laughing gas(1), clean teeth, that kind of thing." She says. She doesn't know what rhetorical means, but someone lets her near teeth? Wow. (2)

"So you have access to laughing gas?" I ask.

"Uh yeah… I administer it, duh." She says. I look back at the two way mirror and lock eyes with Gibbs. Well, it could have been Tony or Kate, but I'm sure the eyes I have locked with are Gibbs'. I'm 99.9% sure of that at least. I looked back at her and smile.

"That's all for now. Don't leave town;(3) NCIS will be in touch." I tell her and leave.

I meet Gibbs in the hallway and hand him the file.

"You did real good pulling yourself from the case, Sara." He says. I look at him and smile.

"Well, I really love Antonio's." I laugh and press the down elevator button. I lean against the wall and shake my head. "I think she did it." I admit. Gibbs looks back at me and stops the elevator.

"Why?" He asks.

"The way she reacted when I showed her the picture of Brea. There was a moment of recognition in her eyes, Gibbs. I know that look; it comes from working with you." I say to him. "She's a dental assistant… and she doesn't seem very bright…"

"How does the last part fit in with the case?"

"It doesn't; I just don't like it when people don't seem very bright." I say, folding my arms over my chest. Gibbs laughs and turns back on the elevator.

"Get a warrant, Sara." He tells me. I smile smugly and wish I was happy for a second, because then he might have kissed my cheek. Although he did full on kiss me once, which was really nice. The doors open and I stand there, thinking about his lips and Mike's lips. Oh too much to think about now. "Sadler?" He calls out. I look up at him, shaking myself out of my thoughts.

"Sorry, boss." I say and walk out to the legal department.

^*********************^

"Hey, boss, got that beautiful warrant for the dental office and every single laughing gas tube she has worked on." I say with a bright smile, holding out the white piece of paper. Gibbs smiles and grabs his keys and gun. When we get to the elevator, Gibbs leans over and kisses my cheek.

"Good job, Sara." He tells me. I smile and lean up to kiss his cheek.

"Thanks, sir." I say, dancing to the invisible elevator music.

"Don't call me sir, Sara." He says.

"Do you want me to call you ma'am (4)?" I tease. Gibbs laughs and shakes his head.

"You can call me Gibbs or Jethro." He tells me. I raise an eyebrow.

"What did I do to deserve that honor?" I ask. He laughs at me and the elevator door opens. He grabs my hand and pulls me out to the car. "Let's go to that dentist office and confiscate all of those stupid tubes." He says, opening the car door for me. I laugh and climb in.

"I hope no one has a root canal or some other series dental surgery today." I say. Gibbs chuckles and climbs in the drivers' side.

^************************^

"I hate dentists." I state when Gibbs pulls into the parking lot of the dentists' office. He looks over at me.

"Why?"

"Because my dentist never numbed me enough so I felt every tear in my teeth." I tell him. "My teeth came in wrong so I had to have most of them pulled." I explain further, holding the warrant in my hand and getting out of the car.

"I never minded the dentist when I was a kid." He tells me.

"You had perfect teeth, didn't you?" I ask as he comes up next to me. He flashes a smile and I stick my tongue out.

"You used to have your tongue pierced." He says, pointing to the healed piercing. "Yes, I did. And my lip and my nose and both my ears seven times." I tell him.

"What made you take the piercings out?" He asks.

"My intern interview at NCIS." He opens the door for me and I smile a thank you.

"Abby would have hired you." He tells me walking with me to the front desk.

"It was Director Morrow who interviewed me, not Abby." I tell him. We wait for the receptionist.

"Why didn't you put them back in?" Gibbs asks.

"I just grew up. Although I was working for a Goth, I didn't feel the need to wear it. It was hard for people to take me seriously with the piercings. I know Abby goes through it, too, but I'm just not… I care more you know? Abby has this 'I don't give a shit about what people think about me' attitude but I just… I don't." I say.

"Yeah, I get that." Gibbs tells me, nodding.

"Can I help you?" the receptionist asks. Gibbs pulls out his badge.

"Special Agents Gibbs and Sadler. We're here to issue a search warrant." I hand the receptionist the search warrant.

"Our laughing gas tubes? We have two root canals today!"

"Well, I hate to be them. If you don't give us the tubes I can arrest you for obstruction of justice." I smile smugly and bat my eyelashes. Oh god Gibbs is rubbing off on me! The receptionist groans and walks back to the observation rooms. I look up at Gibbs.

"That was impressive, Sara." He tells me. I smile and tap my fingers on the counter. "I really hope you solve this case without hurting someone; I'm looking forward to taking you out." He admits. I smile and look at the ground.

"I'm looking forward to it, too." I tell him, smiling.

"So the choices of me and Mike… any decisions?" He asks.

"Well you're both good kissers… so I think I'm just going to have to sleep with both of you." I tease. The receptionist comes back with a big box full of tubes and face masks.

"This all of 'em?" Gibbs asks. She nods and I look at the tubes and think of all the evidence that is on there. We walk back to the car and he puts the box in the back seat. I sigh after I've climbed in the car. Gibbs runs around to the drivers' seat and slides in.

"You're going to tell me to help Abby dust for prints and collect DNA, aren't you?" I ask.

"Nope." He says starting the car.

"Why not?" I ask, putting my seat belt on.

"You're going to be planning your best friends' funeral, Sara, and you're investigating her murder. Kate can help Abby." He says. I reach over and grab Gibbs' hand, intertwining my fingers with his.

"Thank you, Gibbs." I whisper.

"Just out of curiosity, who's winning the fight?" He whispers. I smile and lean over and place a simple kiss on his lips, not giving him time to kiss back.

"I really hope I don't get fired because of this, Gibbs." I whisper, licking my lips. I pull away and sit back in my seat. Gibbs laughs and puts the car in drive, pulling out of the driveway.


End file.
